Three local women joined more than 100 others in the Highland County Women’s Hall of Fame Tuesday night to bring together the hall of fame’s 37th class.
The additions of Margaret W. “Peggy” Addington, Janet Butler and Karen Faust make 112 members in the hall of fame, which has been honoring local women since its creation in 1981.
The induction ceremony and celebratory dinner were held Tuesday in the atrium at the Southern State Community College Central Campus in Hillsboro, where guests were welcomed by Dr. Nicole Roades, vice president of academic affairs at Southern State.
Sue Smith reecognized hall of fame members, and the inductees were introduced by Pamela Nickell. Smith and Nickell were both inducted into the hall of fame in previous years.
Peggy Addington spent her preschool years in Hillsboro, but because her father, Gerald Wisecup, was in the service and involved in post World War II reconstruction, lived in the different parts of the country and world until her father retired.
She graduated from Fairborn High School and Ohio State University with degrees in history and education. While living in Colorado, Addington attended Red Rocks Community College in Golden, Colo. and received a degree in accounting, which led to her becoming comptroller of the college. She retired from that position in 1997 and decided to relocate to Hillsboro.
Addington has tutored students attending the local schools and Southern State Community College. She attended St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, where she was baptized, and was soon approved as outreach chairperson (1998-2016) and church treasurer (2000-14).
She joined several organizations and became treasurer for some of them including: Hillsboro Area Branch of the American Association of University Women, Samaritan Outreach Services, Daughters of the American Revolution, Southern Ohio Genealogical Society and Highland County Historical Society.
Starting in 1962 immediately after finishing high school, Janet Butler worked full-time at a stockyards, first located in Washington C.H., then moving to Highland County with what is now Union Stockyards.
The daughter of Lewis and Lida Behm, Butler grew up on a farm and was active in 4-H and with a variety of livestock. As she became more involved with the livestock industry she leaned toward beef cattle and the beef cattle industry. She helps handle 70-plus auctions a year, buys every day and, along with her husband, Bill, is a major supporter of 4-H, FFA and fair activities.
Butler serves as treasurer of the Highland County Cattlemen, and served on the Ohio Beef Council Operating Committee from 1993 to 2001 and was treasurer from 1995-97. She helps organize the beef food booth at the Festival of the Bells, the beef buyers’ recognition at the county fair, and Highland County duties at the Ohio State Fair beef industry promotional and food booth. She was a founding member of Altrusa International of Highland County in 1994, serving as president in 1995-96 and 2016-17. She was a member of Leadership Highland (1991-92), and has served on several boards including Leadership Highland (1992), NCB Advisory Board, and Highland District Hospital Foundation.
Some of her awards include WLW Citizen of the Day (1977), Friend of 4-H Award with Union Stockyards (1981), Highland County Leadership Award (2002), Highland County Republican of the Year (2004), and Ohio Cattlemen’s Beef Industry Excellence Award (2011).
“Karen Faust was born on July 4, and according to her grandmother, Karen has been independent since the day she was born,” her sons, Mark and Todd Faust, wrote in their nominating forms. “That independent streak has served her well and has made an impact on the lives of her family, her friends and those she has served over the years.”
Born in Belle Center, she graduated from Belle Center High School in 1968 and attended Bowling Green State University her freshman year. She transferred to Ohio State in 1969 to major in home economics education.
She met her husband, Jim, that year and he began teaching at Peebles High School in 1970 while she continued college. They married in 1971. Faust graduated with a bachelor’s degree in home economics education in 1972.
After graduation from OSU, Faust became the first 4-H Extension agent in Adams County and served there for many years. She earned a master’s of science degree while working as an Extension agent.
In 1991, the family moved back to the family farm near Pricetown. Jim Faust began teaching at Lynchburg-Clay and their family was active in the school system. When Faust left OSU Extension, she began serving as program manager for Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates. During that time she became interested in Christian counseling and pursued a master’s degree in counseling at Cincinnati Christian University. She is fully certified as a licensed professional clinical counselor and currently counsels numerous clients.
Faust is active in the Pricetown Church of Christ where she teaches, works with VBS, and helps with special activities. She is on the Southern Ohio Pregnancy Board and serves as president. She judges numerous county fair and community events and conducts various educational training seminars. She is active in the Highland County Republican Party where serves as treasurer, and as the Salem Township Central Committee representative. She is also very active in Rotary and is currently president of the Hillsboro Rotary Club.
